Text input method in touch screen terminal and apparatus therefor

ABSTRACT

A method and an apparatus input test in a touch screen terminal. The method comprises designating a certain region on a keyboard interface picture, not permitting text input through a keyboard when touch drag started from the designated region is sensed and acquiring a path of the touch drag, acquiring a path of following touch drag when at least the one or more following touch drag are sensed, and reading out at least the acquired one or more paths by cursive character recognition, deducing a character, determining the deduced character as an input target, and permitting the text input through the keyboard.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application is related to and claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office on Nov. 15, 2011 and assigned Serial No.10-2011-0118958, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a text input method in a touch screenterminal and an apparatus therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable terminals such as mobile terminals (cellular phones),electronic schedulers, and personal complex terminals have becomenecessities of current society based on development of electroniccommunication industries. The portable terminals have developed intoimportant means of information transmission, which are quickly changed.

As everyone knows, recently, because utilization of a touch screenportable terminal is enhanced, the trend in a text input type is towarda text input method through a touch screen.

FIG. 1 illustrates interface pictures for text input in a conventionaltouch screen portable terminal.

Referring to FIG. 1, the touch screen portable terminal provides akeyboard interface picture and a cursive character recognition interfacepicture. The keyboard interface picture includes a keyboard 11 and aninput window 13 for displaying characters received through the keyboard11. Also, the cursive character recognition interface picture includes acursive character recognizer 14 for receiving touch drag and an inputwindow 15 for reading out the touch drag and displaying a deducedcharacter.

In general, a user must convert and use the keyboard interface pictureand the cursive character recognition interface picture. Therefore, thisresults in an inconvenience to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is aprimary object to provide a method and apparatus for permitting textinput using a keyboard and cursive character recognition.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method andapparatus for permitting text input using cursive character recognitionon a keyboard interface display or picture.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a text inputmethod in a touch screen terminal is provided. The text input methodincludes designating a certain region on a keyboard interface display orpicture, not permitting text input through a keyboard when touch dragstarted from the designated region is sensed and acquiring a path of thetouch drag, acquiring a path of following touch drag when at least theone or more following touch drag are sensed, and reading out at leastthe acquired one or more paths by cursive character recognition,deducing a character, determining the deduced character as an inputtarget, and permitting the text input through the keyboard.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a textinput apparatus in a touch screen terminal is provided. The text inputapparatus includes a controller for designating a certain region on akeyboard interface display or picture, not permitting text input througha keyboard when touch drag started from the designated region is sensed,and acquiring a path of the touch drag, wherein the controller acquiresa path of following touch drag when at least the one or more followingtouch drag is sensed and wherein the controller reads out at least theacquired one or more paths by cursive character recognition, deduces acharacter, determines the deduced character as an input target, andpermits the text input through the keyboard.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION below, itmay be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words andphrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and“comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion withoutlimitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases“associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivativesthereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with,contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, becommunicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximateto, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and theterm “controller” means any device, system or part thereof that controlsat least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware,firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same.It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particularcontroller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally orremotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are providedthroughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the artshould understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitionsapply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words andphrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and itsadvantages, reference is now made to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 illustrates interface pictures for text input in a conventionaltouch screen portable terminal;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a portable terminal according toone embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a process of inputting characters according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4A to 4E illustrate interface displays or pictures for text inputaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 2 through 4E, discussed below, and the various embodiments used todescribe the principles of the present disclosure in this patentdocument are by way of illustration only and should not be construed inany way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the artwill understand that the principles of the present disclosure may beimplemented in any suitably arranged system or device. Exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure will be described herein belowwith reference to the accompanying drawings. In the followingdescription, well-known functions or constructions are not described indetail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.Also, the terms used herein are defined according to the functions ofthe present disclosure. Thus, the terms may vary depending on user's oroperator's intension and usage. That is, the terms used herein must beunderstood based on the descriptions made herein.

The present disclosure described hereinafter relates to a method andapparatus for permitting text input using a keyboard and cursivecharacter recognition without converting an interface picture.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a portable terminal according toone embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, the portable terminal includes a touch screen unit21, a storage unit 22, and a controller 23.

The touch screen unit 21 receives an output signal and outputs thereceived output signal as an image under control of the controller 23.In addition, the touch screen unit 21 receives touch of a user andoutputs an input signal to the controller 23. The controller 23 performsan operation according to the input signal.

The storage unit 22 stores programs for controlling an overall operationof the portable terminal and a variety of data items input and outputwhen a control operation of the portable terminal is performed.

The controller 23 controls an overall operation of the portableterminal.

Hereinafter, a method of inputting characters in the controller 23according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedin detail.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process of inputting characters according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the controller 23 designates a certainregion on a keyboard interface display or picture in step 301. Thecontroller 23 may allow a user to determine a range or position of theregion.

When touch drag started from the designated region is sensed in step303, the controller 23 proceeds to step 305, does not permit text inputthrough a keyboard, and acquires and displays a path of the touch drag.For example, the touch drag started from the designated region may ormay not be gotten out of the designated region.

When release of the touch drag is sensed in step 307, the controller 23proceeds to step 309 and verifies whether there is following touch dragwithin a threshold time. When the following touch drag is sensed withinthe threshold time in step 309, the controller 23 proceeds to step 315and acquires and displays a path of the following touch drag. Thecontroller 23 performs the processing from step 307.

When the following touch drag is no longer sensed within the thresholdtime in step 309, the controller 23 proceeds to step 311, reads out atleast the one or more acquired paths by cursive character recognition,deduces a character, and determines the deduced character as an inputtarget. For example, the controller 23 displays the deduced character onan input window of the keyboard interface display or picture in step311.

The controller 23 releases at least the one or more displayed paths andpermits text input through the keyboard in step 313.

When the path of the touch drag is displayed, the controller 23 displaysthe path of the touch drag on the keyboard interface picture. Forexample, the controller 23 may display the path of the touch drag on anoverlay display or picture or may display the path of the touch drag onthe keyboard interface display or picture itself.

FIG. 4A to 4E illustrate interface displays or pictures for text inputaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4A to 4E, the controller 23 provides akeyboard 41 and an input window 42 for displaying characters inputthrough the keyboard 41. In addition, the controller 23 provides adesignated region 43 arranged with the keyboard 41 and the input window42.

As shown (a) of FIG. 4, a user starts touch drag 411 from the designatedregion 43. The controller 23 does not permit text input through akeyboard and performs cursive character recognition.

As shown (a) to (c) of FIG. 4, when the cursive character recognition isperformed, the controller 23 acquires at least one or more paths of thetouch drag, reads out the acquired paths, and deduces a character. Thecontroller 23 acquires at least one or more paths of the touch draguntil the previous touch drag is released and there are no longer touchdrag within a threshold time. Particularly, the controller 23 displays asensed path of the touch drag on a picture of the display of thekeyboard 41, the input window 42, and the designated region 43. After(a) of FIG. 4, the controller 23 provides the entire picture as a regionof the touch drag for the cursive character recognition.

As shown in (d) of FIG. 4, when there is no longer touch drag within thethreshold hold after the previous touch drag is released, the controller23 reads out at least the one or more acquired paths, deduces thecharacter, and displays the deduced character 431 on the input window42. In addition, the controller 23 permits text input through thekeyboard 41 again. As shown (d) and (e) of FIG. 4, when a button 421 istouched, the controller 23 displays a mapped corresponding character 432on the input window 42.

In conclusion, because text input using cursive character recognition ispermitted on a keyboard interface picture, a text input method and anapparatus therefor according to one embodiment of the present disclosuresolve the trouble of converting the keyboard interface display orpicture into the cursive character recognition interface picture orconverting the cursive character recognition interface picture into thekeyboard interface picture.

It will be appreciated that embodiments of the present inventionaccording to the claims and description in the specification can berealized in the form of hardware, software or a combination of hardwareand software.

Any such software may be stored in a computer readable storage medium.The computer readable storage medium stores one or more programs(software modules), the one or more programs comprising instructions,which when executed by one or more processors in an electronic device,cause the electronic device to perforin a method of the presentinvention.

Any such software may be stored in the form of volatile or non-volatilestorage such as, for example, a storage device like a ROM, whethererasable or rewritable or not, or in the form of memory such as, forexample. RAM, memory chips, device or integrated circuits or on anoptically or magnetically readable medium such as, for example, a CD,DVD, magnetic disk or magnetic tape or the like. It will be appreciatedthat the storage devices and storage media are embodiments ofmachine-readable storage that are suitable for storing a program orprograms comprising instructions that, when executed, implementembodiments of the present invention.

Accordingly, embodiments provide a program comprising, code forimplementing apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of the claimsof this specification and a machine-readable storage storing such aprogram. Still further, such programs may be conveyed electronically viaany medium such as a communication signal carried over a wired orwireless connection and embodiments suitably encompass the same.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method to input a text in an electronic deviceincluding a touch screen, the method comprising: designating an inputwindow, a keyboard, and a region on the touch screen; detecting whethera touch input is started from the keyboard or the designated region,wherein the designated region is a region on the touch screen having anarea that is less than a total area of the touch screen; in response todetecting the touch input starting from the keyboard, detecting a key onthe keyboard that corresponds to the detected touch input andidentifying a first character that corresponds to the detected key; inresponse to detecting the touch input starting from the designatedregion, disabling a text input mode through the keyboard to allow thetouch input to extend into the keyboard, acquiring at least one or morepaths of the detected touch input, and identifying a second characterusing character recognition based on the acquired one or more paths; andinputting the first or second character in the input window.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least the one ormore paths of the detected touch input.
 3. The method of claim 2,further comprising removing a display of the at least one or more pathsof the detected touch input after inputting the first or secondcharacter.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling thetext input mode through the keyboard after inputting the secondcharacter that is identified using character recognition based on theacquired one or more paths.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein inputtingthe second character which is identified using character recognitionbased on the acquired one or more paths is performed in response toidentifying that no touch input is sensed within a threshold time aftera previous touch input is released.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising resizing or repositioning the designated region in responseto a request from a user input.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising determining when the touch input is continued toward a newpoint on the touch screen that is out of the designated region from anoriginal point of the designated region.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the touch input is capable of being input via an entire regionof the touch screen.
 9. An electronic device comprising: a touch screen;and a controller configured to: designate an input window, a keyboard,and a region on the touch screen, detect whether a touch input isstarted from the keyboard or the designated region, wherein thedesignated region is a region on the touch screen having an area that isless than a total area of the touch screen, in response to detecting thetouch input starting from the keyboard, detect a key on the keyboardthat corresponds to the detected touch input and identify a firstcharacter that corresponds to the detected key, in response to detectingthe touch input starting from the designated region, disable a textinput mode through the keyboard to allow the touch input to extend intothe keyboard, acquire at least one or more paths of the detected touchinput, and identify a second character using character recognition basedon the acquired one or more paths, and input the first or secondcharacter in the input window.
 10. The electronic device of claim 9,wherein the controller is configured to display the at least one or morepaths of the detected touch input.
 11. The electronic device of claim10, wherein the controller is configured to remove a display of the oneor more paths of the detected touch input after inputting the first orsecond character.
 12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein thecontroller is configured to enable the text input through the keyboardafter inputting the second character which is identified using characterrecognition based on the acquired one or more paths.
 13. The electronicdevice of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to input thesecond character which is identified using character recognition basedon the acquired one or more paths in response to identifying that notouch input is sensed within a threshold time after a previous touchinput is released.
 14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein thecontroller is configured to resize or reposition the designated regionin response to a request from a user input.
 15. The electronic device ofclaim 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine when thetouch input is continued toward a new point on the touch screen that isout of the designated region from an original point of the designatedregion.
 16. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the touch input iscapable of being input via an entire region of the touch screen.
 17. Anelectronic device, comprising: a touch screen; and a controllerconfigured to: designate an input window, a keyboard, and a region onthe touch screen, detect whether a touch input is started from thekeyboard or the designated region, wherein the designated region is aregion on the touch screen having an area that is less than a total areaof the touch screen, in response to detecting the touch input startingfrom the keyboard, detect a key on the keyboard that corresponds to thedetected touch input and identify a first character that corresponds tothe detected key, in response to detecting the touch input starting fromthe designated region, disable a text input mode through the keyboard,acquire at least one or more paths of the detected touch input on thekeyboard and the designated region, and identify a second characterusing character recognition based on the acquired one or more paths, andinput the first or second character in the input window.